JP2010257424A - Content reproducing device, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a content reproducing device operated while restraining an electric power consumption, as to a unit with a generated content not reproduced, out of two different content generation units. <P>SOLUTION: A TV unit 10 in the PC built-in TV 1, includes a control information communicating part 18 for transmitting operation mode information expressing an operation mode in a PC built-in TV 1 to a PC unit 20. The PC unit 20 includes an electric power supply control part 32 for controlling electric power supply to respective hardware constituting the PC unit 20, based on the received operation mode information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a content reproduction apparatus composed of a plurality of units each generating different content.

  In recent years, there has been an increasing demand among viewers to view another video on the same screen while watching a broadcast program. Against this background, various techniques for displaying video other than broadcast programs using a sub-screen have been proposed.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a video display device that simultaneously displays a television screen and a browser screen obtained by connecting to the Internet on a display.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a personal computer with a TV function that allows a user to watch a digital broadcast at a high resolution in a short time and to seamlessly select a user's TV / PC function.

  In Patent Document 3, a television or a recorded program can be viewed without increasing the load on the PC, and a television image by overlay display can be displayed on a small screen at an arbitrary position on the PC monitor during the PC work. Even if the work area and the overlay area of the TV overlap and the operability deteriorates, the work area can be moved to any position and changed to any size, greatly improving operability. An image processing apparatus that can be used is disclosed.

  Patent Document 4 discloses an image output device that includes a TV power button and a PC power button in the main body, and switches between a TV function and a PC function by a mode switching button provided on an operation panel. Has been.

JP 2008-79077 A (publication date: April 3, 2008) JP 2006-310896 A (publication date: November 9, 2006) JP 2007-31958 A (publication date: November 29, 2007) JP 2005-303935 A (publication date: October 27, 2005)

  However, the above-described prior art has the following problems.

  In the technique of Patent Document 1, the browser function is realized in the television apparatus. In this configuration, the software and hardware of the television device are poor compared to those of the computer, so that only limited services can be processed. In particular, since services provided through the Internet are evolving day by day, the technology of Patent Document 1 cannot cope with a large number of services that require a large processing load, such as an online game and a video reproduction service. As a result, only a few services can be provided to the user. The technique of Patent Document 2 has a similar problem.

  In the technique of Patent Document 3, a television screen and a PC screen are mixedly displayed by connecting a television and an external PC. In this technique, two separate devices are connected to each other, so that wiring and the like are complicated. As a result, the installation and carrying of the apparatus becomes troublesome. Further, since the television broadcast processing and the computer processing operate independently of each other, they must be operated by separate operation devices. Moreover, it is difficult to realize the cooperation between the two. As described above, in the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, the affinity between two different units is low, and the two cannot be operated in cooperation by operating the first unit.

  In the technique of Patent Document 4, since the power button of the TV tuner and the power button of the PC are provided separately, in order for the user to use the PC while watching TV, You must turn on the power and wait for the PC to start up. In general, since it takes time to start up the PC, the user is dissatisfied when the user wants to use the PC immediately.

  In order to solve this, the TV tuner and the PC may be activated simultaneously by one power button. However, in this case, since it is necessary to activate the TV tuner when not viewing the TV, or to activate the PC when not using the PC, the power consumption of the entire apparatus increases. Have the problem. This is not preferable from the viewpoint of ecology.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its main purpose is to increase the affinity between two different units and to operate both in cooperation with each other by operating the first unit. A content reproduction apparatus is provided. In addition, a content playback device that generates content in each of two different units and plays back at least one of the generated content, and for the unit in which the generated content is not played back, the content to be operated with reduced power consumption It is to provide a playback device.

In order to solve the above problems, the content playback apparatus according to the present invention provides:
A first unit including first content generation means for generating first content including at least a first video; and second content generation means for generating second content including at least a second video. A content playback device having a second unit comprising:
The first unit is
Content acquisition means for acquiring second content from the second unit;
Content reproduction means for reproducing at least one of the first content generated by the first content generation means and the second content acquired by the content acquisition means;
First power supply control means for controlling power supply to the first hardware constituting the first unit using power supplied from a power supply;
Supply means for supplying a part of the power supplied from the power source to the second unit;
Operation mode information transmitting means for transmitting operation mode information representing an operation mode in the content reproduction apparatus to the second unit;
The second unit is
Content transmitting means for transmitting the second content to the first unit;
An operation mode information receiving means for receiving the operation mode information transmitted from the operation mode information transmitting means;
Second power supply control means for controlling power supply to the second hardware constituting the second unit based on the received operation mode information using the power supplied from the first unit. And is further provided.

  The first unit in the content playback apparatus according to the present invention supplies a part of the power supplied from the power source to the second unit, and sets operation mode information indicating the operation mode in the content playback apparatus to the second unit. Send to unit. The second unit uses the power supplied from the first unit to control the power supply to the second hardware constituting the unit based on the received operation mode information.

  As described above, in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, power for operating the second unit is supplied from the first unit. Thus, it is possible to supply power to both the first unit and the second unit only by supplying power to the first unit.

  Further, the second unit controls the supply of power to the second hardware constituting the unit based on the operation mode information from the first unit. In other words, the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention has an effect that both can be operated in cooperation by operating the first unit.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The operation mode information is content reproduction stop information indicating that the reproduction unit does not reproduce the second content,
The second power supply control means, when receiving the content reproduction stop information in the operation mode information receiving means, power for the hardware functioning as the second content generation means among the second hardware. It is preferable to shut off the supply.

  According to the above configuration, the second unit functions as the second content generation unit when the content reproduction stop information is received from the first unit, that is, when the second content is not reproduced by the reproduction unit. Shut off the power supply to the hardware.

  That is, the second unit in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention does not supply power to hardware functioning as second content generation means that does not need to be operated when the second content is not reproduced. Can be.

  Thus, when the second content is not reproduced, there is an effect that power supply to the hardware having a function related to the generation of the second content can be stopped to reduce power consumption.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second power supply control means is an operation input signal input via a second operation input device provided in the second unit in addition to the hardware functioning as the second content generation means. It is preferable to cut off the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the second input signal receiving means for receiving.

  According to the above configuration, when the second content is not reproduced, in addition to the hardware functioning as the second content generation unit, the second content is input to the second unit via the second operation input device. The supply of power to the hardware functioning as the second input signal receiving means for receiving the operation input signal is also stopped.

  Thus, the content playback apparatus according to the present invention has an effect of further reducing power consumption when the second content is not played back.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The first power supply control unit supplies power to the hardware functioning as the first content generation unit of the first hardware when the reproduction unit does not reproduce the first content. It is preferable to block.

  According to said structure, a 1st unit interrupts | blocks supply of the electric power with respect to the hardware which functions as a 1st content production | generation means, when not reproducing | regenerating 1st content in a reproduction | regeneration means.

  That is, the first unit in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention does not supply power to the hardware functioning as the first content generation unit that does not need to be operated when the first content is not reproduced. Can be.

  As a result, when the first content is not reproduced, there is an effect that power supply can be stopped by stopping the supply of power to the hardware having a function related to the generation of the first content.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The first power supply control means is an operation input signal input via a first operation input device provided in the first unit in addition to hardware functioning as the first content generation means. It is preferable to cut off the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the first input signal receiving means for receiving.

  According to said structure, when not reproducing | regenerating 1st content, in addition to the hardware which functions as a 1st content production | generation means, it inputs into a 1st unit via a 1st operation input device. The supply of power to the hardware functioning as the first input signal receiving means for receiving the operation input signal is also stopped.

  As a result, the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention has an effect of further reducing power consumption when the first content is not reproduced.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The operation mode information is content reproduction resume information indicating that the reproduction unit resumes reproduction of the second content,
The second power supply control means preferably restarts the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the second content generation means when the operation mode information receiving means receives the content reproduction restart information.

  According to the above configuration, when the operation mode information receiving unit receives the content reproduction restart information from the first unit, the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the second content generation unit is restarted.

  Thereby, in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, the generation of the second content in the second unit can be resumed by the operation on the first unit. That is, there is an effect that the both units can be operated in cooperation by operating the first unit.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second power supply control means receives the content reproduction restart information in the operation mode information receiving means, and the second function provided in the hardware and the second unit serving as the second content generation means. It is preferable to resume the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the second input signal receiving means for receiving the operation input signal input via the operation input device.

  According to said structure, in the content reproduction apparatus which concerns on this invention, the production | generation of the 2nd content in a 2nd unit can be restarted by operation with respect to a 1st unit. In other words, even when the second input signal receiving means cannot be used, there is an effect that both can be operated in cooperation by operating the first unit.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second unit changes the state of the second unit between the time when the operation mode information receiving means receives the content reproduction restart information and the time when the content transmitting means starts transmission of the second content. Control information transmitting means for transmitting status information to be transmitted to the first unit;
The first unit further includes control information receiving means for receiving status information transmitted from the information transmitting means,
The first content generation unit generates first content including a video generated based on the state information received by the control information reception unit in addition to the first video,
The content reproduction means preferably reproduces the first content generated by the first content generation means.

  According to the above configuration, in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, the state of the second unit is indicated until the second unit can transmit the second content to the first unit. The first content including the video generated based on the state information is reproduced.

  As a result, the user can easily recognize what state the second unit is in.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second unit further includes control information transmitting means for transmitting reproduction instruction information for instructing the first unit to resume reproduction of the first content,
The first unit further includes control information receiving means for receiving a reproduction instruction request transmitted from the control information transmitting means,
The first power supply control means preferably restarts the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the first content generation means when the control information receiving means receives the reproduction instruction request.

  According to the above configuration, when the control information receiving unit receives the reproduction instruction information from the second unit, the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the first content generating unit is resumed.

  Thereby, in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, the generation of the first content in the first unit can be resumed by the operation on the second unit. That is, there is an effect that the two units can be operated in cooperation by operating the second unit.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
When the first power supply control means receives the reproduction instruction information in the control information receiving means, the hardware that functions as the first content generation means and the first operation provided in the first unit It is preferable to restart the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the first input signal receiving means for receiving the operation input signal input via the input device.

  According to said structure, in the content reproduction apparatus which concerns on this invention, the production | generation of the 1st content in a 1st unit can be restarted by operation with respect to a 2nd unit. In other words, even when the first input signal receiving means cannot be used, there is an effect that both can be operated in cooperation by operating the second unit.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The first power supply control means transmits the operation mode information to the second power supply control means when the supply of power from the power source is started,
The second power supply control means preferably controls power supply to the second hardware based on the operation mode information received from the first power supply control means.

  According to the above configuration, in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, the second power supply control means starts the supply of power from the power source to the first unit, that is, activation of the content reproduction apparatus. Sometimes, the power supply to the second hardware is controlled based on the operation mode information received from the first power supply control means.

  Accordingly, the second unit can determine whether or not to supply power to the hardware based on the operation mode information received from the first power supply control unit when the apparatus is activated. For example, when the first unit includes a storage unit that stores operation mode information when the content reproduction apparatus has been activated most recently, the mode when the first unit has been activated most recently With this, the second unit can be activated.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The first unit further includes broadcast wave receiving means for receiving a broadcast wave through an antenna,
The first video is preferably generated by decoding the broadcast wave received by the broadcast wave receiving means.

  According to said structure, a 1st unit can reproduce | regenerate a broadcast program. As a result, the content reproduction apparatus can be realized as a kind of television apparatus.

In the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, further,
The second content generation means includes execution means for executing a software application,
It is preferable that the second content generation unit generates the content generated when the software application is executed as the second content.

  According to said structure, a 2nd unit has a function as a general purpose computer. As a result, the content reproduction apparatus can be realized as an apparatus having a computer function. In particular, when the first unit has a broadcast program playback function, the content playback device can be realized as a television device built in a computer.

  There are also a program for operating the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, which causes a computer to function as each of the above-described means, and a computer-readable recording medium on which these programs are recorded. It is included in the category of the present invention.

  The first unit in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention includes supply means for supplying a part of power supplied from the power source to the second unit, and operation mode information indicating an operation mode in the content reproduction apparatus. Operation mode transmitting means for transmitting to the second unit. In addition, the second unit uses the power supplied from the first unit, and controls the power supply to the second hardware constituting the second unit based on the received operation mode information. Two power supply control means are provided.

  As described above, in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, power for operating the second unit is supplied from the first unit. Thus, it is possible to supply power to both the first unit and the second unit only by supplying power to the first unit.

  Further, the second unit controls supply of power to the second hardware constituting the second unit based on the operation mode information from the first unit. That is, in the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention, both can be operated in cooperation by operating the first unit.

It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the television with a built-in PC concerning embodiment. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the television with a built-in PC concerning an embodiment, (a) shows the appearance when viewing the television with a built-in PC from the display screen side, and (b) is the appearance when viewing the television with a built-in PC from the side. Indicates. It is a block diagram which shows the detailed internal structure of the television with a built-in PC concerning embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the flow of an image composition and a display in the television with a built-in PC according to the embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process which transfers PC unit in the television with a built-in PC concerning embodiment to standby mode. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process which transfers TV unit in the television with a built-in television concerning embodiment to standby mode. It is a figure which shows the transition of the display in a display when changing any unit of TV unit of PC built-in television which concerns on embodiment, and PC unit to standby mode, (a) is a case where a video is displayed in simultaneous display mode (B) shows a case where video is displayed in the TV mode, and (c) shows a case where video is displayed in the PC mode. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process which returns the PC unit in the television with a built-in PC concerning an embodiment from standby mode. It is a figure which shows the transition of the display in a display when the PC unit of the television with a built-in PC concerning an embodiment is returned from standby mode, (a) shows the case where a picture is displayed in TV mode, (b) Indicates a case where video is displayed in the simultaneous display mode. It is a sequence diagram which shows the process which resets TV unit of the television with a built-in television which concerns on embodiment from standby mode. It is a figure which shows the transition of the display in a display when the TV unit which concerns on embodiment returns from standby mode, (a) has shown the case where a video is displayed in PC mode, (b) is simultaneous display mode. Shows the case of displaying video. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the other example of the television with a built-in PC which concerns on embodiment, (a) is the case of seeing the television with a built-in PC after the detachable PC unit is attached to the TV unit from the display screen side. It is a figure which shows an external appearance, (b) is a figure which shows an external appearance at the time of seeing the television with a built-in PC before a detachable PC unit is attached to a TV unit from the back side. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the other example of the television with a built-in PC which concerns on embodiment.

  An embodiment of a content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, a TV built-in television having a TV unit as the first unit and a PC unit as the second unit will be described as a specific example.

(Appearance of PC built-in TV 1)
First, the external appearance of the PC built-in television 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). 2A and 2B are views showing the appearance of the PC built-in television 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2A shows the appearance when the PC built-in television 1 is viewed from the display screen side. (B) shows the external appearance when the PC built-in television 1 is viewed from the side (the side where the PC unit 20 is installed).

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the PC built-in television 1 (content reproduction device) has a configuration in which a PC unit 20 (second unit) is provided in a TV unit 10 (first unit). Device. The TV unit 10 of the present embodiment is a subunit (subsystem) having a configuration and functions as a liquid crystal television device. On the other hand, the PC unit 20 is a subunit (subsystem) having a configuration and functions as a so-called personal computer. Both are integrated to form one PC built-in television 1. Furthermore, by operating both in cooperation with each other, the user is provided with an unprecedented content playback (viewing and browsing) experience.

  The user operates the PC built-in television 1 using the remote controller 9. If there is only the remote controller 9, the TV unit 10 can be operated to view the broadcast program. Further, by using the same remote controller 9, it is possible to operate the PC unit 20 to execute various software applications, or to access a website on the Internet and browse a web page.

  2A and 2B show the case where the PC unit 20 is attached to the outer wall surface of the TV unit 10, but the PC unit 20 is built in the casing body of the TV unit 10. Also good. In this case, the PC unit 20 is completely hidden inside the TV unit 10. Therefore, the PC unit 20 can be protected from the external environment. The user can take out the PC unit 20 from the TV unit 10 and replace it with another PC unit 20.

(Main components of TV 1 with built-in PC)
The internal configuration and functions of the PC built-in television 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main configuration of a PC built-in television 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the TV unit 10 of the TV 1 with a built-in PC includes a video output unit 11, an audio output unit 12, a content processing unit 13, a content synthesis unit 14, a content acquisition unit 15, a content reception unit 16, and a user input unit. 17, a control information communication unit 18 and a control unit 19 are provided. On the other hand, the PC unit 20 includes a content processing unit 21, a content acquisition unit 22, a content transmission unit 23, a storage unit 24, a control information communication unit 25, a user input unit 26, a control unit 27, and an application execution unit 28.

  The PC built-in television 1 has a video composition function. Specifically, the TV unit 10 acquires a broadcast program by receiving and decoding a broadcast wave (television broadcast). The PC unit 20 acquires PC contents such as web pages and moving image contents and provides them to the TV unit 10. The TV unit 10 synthesizes at least a video in a broadcast program (hereinafter also referred to as a TV video) and a video in a PC content (hereinafter also referred to as a PC video) to generate one display video and outputs it to the display 2. To do. A display image is displayed on the display 2.

  The display 2 may be any display as long as it can display a PC video, a TV video, and a display video including those videos. Examples of the display 2 include a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, and an organic EL display.

(Details of TV unit 10)
The function of each block provided in the TV unit 10 will be described below.

  The video output unit 11 outputs the video signal sent from the content synthesis unit 14 to the display 2.

  The audio output unit 12 outputs the audio signal sent from the content synthesis unit 14 to the speaker 3.

  The content processing unit 13 processes the content input from the content acquisition unit 15. In this embodiment, the received broadcast wave is decoded to generate a broadcast program (TV content) and output to the content composition unit 14.

  The content composition unit 14 synthesizes the broadcast program (TV content) input from the content processing unit 13 and the PC content received from the PC unit 20 by the content reception unit 16 to generate one composite content, and It outputs to the output part 11 and the audio | voice output part 12. Note that the content synthesizing unit 14 outputs only the TV content to the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12 when the content receiving unit 16 does not receive the PC content. Similarly, when the TV content is not generated, only the PC content is output to the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12.

  The content acquisition unit 15 receives the broadcast wave through the antenna 4 and outputs it to the content processing unit 13. Note that the broadcast wave receiving method is not limited to that through the antenna 4. The content acquisition unit 15 can also receive broadcast waves through a cable television broadcast network. In addition, IP broadcast data (IP broadcast wave) can be received through the Internet 8.

  The video input to the content acquisition unit 15 is not limited to a real-time video such as broadcast. In addition, it is also possible to use an externally input video that is input via an HDMI cable or a video cable for content that is played back by a recording / playback device (recorder device) or the like.

  The content receiving unit 16 receives the PC content transmitted from the PC unit 20 and outputs it to the content composition unit 14.

  The user input unit 17 accepts an input operation performed on the PC built-in television 1 by the user. Specifically, for example, a signal generated by the remote controller 9 in response to an input operation by the user is received and output to the control unit 19. In addition, a signal generated by a user's direct operation on the TV unit 10 main body can be received.

  The control information communication unit 18 exchanges control information with the PC unit 20. Specifically, the control information is transmitted to the control information communication unit 25 of the PC unit 20 or the control information transmitted from the control information communication unit 25 is received. Here, the control information includes, for example, operation information for operating the PC unit 20a or the TV unit 10a. In addition, information specifying that the acquired content should be provided to the other unit is included. Furthermore, access information (link information) for acquiring content is included.

  The control information includes operation mode information. The operation mode information is information that specifies whether the PC unit 20 is operated in the standby mode, the sleep mode, or the normal mode.

  The control unit 19 performs overall control of each block constituting the TV unit 10.

  The power supply control unit 31 supplies the power supplied from the power supply 150 to each hardware constituting the TV unit 10 and also supplies it to the PC unit 20.

  When the TV unit 10 is in the standby mode, the power supply control unit 31 cuts off the power supply to the hardware functioning as the content processing unit 13 and the content acquisition unit 15. That is, the power supply to the hardware related to the generation of TV content is cut off.

  Further, when the TV unit 10 is in the sleep mode, the power supply control unit 31 cuts off the power supply to the user input unit 17 in addition to the hardware that cuts off the power supply in the standby mode. As a result, the TV unit 10 does not accept an operation input via the remote controller 9.

  When returning from the standby mode or returning from the hibernation mode, the power supply control unit 31 resumes the supply of power to the hardware that has been cut off in each mode.

  In this specification and the like, “standby mode” means a state in which TV content is not generated in the content processing unit 13, that is, TV content is not output from the content output unit (the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12). is doing. The “pause mode” means a state in which an operation input from the remote controller 9 (information input device) is not accepted in the user input unit 17 (operation input unit) in addition to the standby mode state.

  The normal mode refers to a case where neither the standby mode nor the sleep mode is selected.

(Details of PC unit 20)
The function of each block constituting the PC unit 20 will be described below.

  The content processing unit 21 processes the PC content acquired by the content acquisition unit 22. The content acquisition unit 22 acquires PC content from the outside. For example, the content acquisition unit 22 may acquire PC content from the recording disk 7 or acquire PC content from a server device or a client device connected to the PC built-in television 1 via the Internet (communication network) 8. May be.

  Here, the PC content is content that can be processed and reproduced by a computer. The PC content corresponds to content such as text, still images, audio, and moving images, for example, and multimedia content composed of a combination thereof. In addition, a web page is also included in the PC content. These PC contents can be obtained from various places. Examples of acquisition sources include a website on the Internet 8, an external device connected to the PC built-in television 1, and a recording disk 7.

  The content transmission unit 23 transmits the content processed by the content processing unit 21 to the content reception unit 16. The content transmission unit 23 can also be referred to as video transmission means for transmitting the PC video generated in the PC unit 20.

  The storage unit 24 stores various PC contents. For example, it is realized as a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk or a flash memory. The storage unit 24 stores various software applications executed by the application execution unit 28 in addition to the PC content.

  The control information communication unit 25 exchanges control information with the control information communication unit 18. Specifically, the control information is transmitted to the control information communication unit 18 of the TV unit 10 or the control information transmitted from the control information communication unit 18 is received.

  That is, the control information communication unit 25 receives the operation mode information from the control information communication unit 18.

  The user input unit 26 receives an input operation to the PC built-in television 1 by the user. Specifically, a signal issued by the operation device (in this embodiment, the mouse 5 and the keyboard 6) in response to an input operation by the user is received and output to the control unit 27. Other examples of the operation device include a pointing device such as a trackball and a trackpad, and a joystick.

  The control unit 27 controls the overall operation of the PC unit 20.

  The application execution unit 28 reads and executes the software application stored in the storage unit 24.

  The power supply control unit 32 supplies the power supplied from the TV unit 10 to each piece of hardware constituting the PC unit 20.

  In addition, when the PC unit 20 is in the standby mode, the power supply control unit 32 includes power that functions as the content processing unit 21, the content acquisition unit 22, the content transmission unit 23, and the application execution unit 28, and the storage unit 24. Shut off the supply. That is, the power supply to the hardware having a function related to the generation of the PC content is cut off.

  Further, when the TV unit 10 is in the sleep mode, the power supply control unit 32 cuts off the supply of power to the user input unit 26 in addition to the hardware that cuts off the supply of power in the standby mode.

  When returning from the standby mode or returning from the hibernation mode, the power supply control unit 31 resumes the supply of power to the hardware that has been cut off in each mode.

  In this specification and the like, “standby mode” means a state in which no PC content is transmitted from the content transmission unit 23, that is, no PC content is output from the content output unit (the video output unit 11 and the audio output unit 12). ing. The “pause mode” means a state in which, in addition to the standby mode, the user input unit 26 (operation input unit) does not accept operation inputs from the mouse 5 and the keyboard 6 (information input device). .

  The power source 150 is not a member constituting the PC built-in television 1, but is shown in FIG. 1 for convenience.

(Detailed internal configuration of TV 1 with built-in PC)
Next, a detailed internal configuration of the PC built-in television 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a detailed internal configuration of the PC built-in television 1 according to the present embodiment. Each functional block shown in FIG. 1 is realized by any one of the blocks shown in FIG. 3 or a combination thereof.

  An RF (Radio Frequency) receiving unit 101 receives a signal transmitted from the outside. That is, the RF receiving unit 101 is a video signal input unit that accepts a digital broadcast signal such as a video signal transmitted by terrestrial digital broadcasting. The signal received by the RF unit 101 is not limited to a signal transmitted as a terrestrial digital broadcast wave. For example, a video signal transmitted by general analog broadcast, satellite broadcast, or cable television broadcast It may be.

  Examples of the format of the video signal received by the RF receiver 101 include a video signal digitized in the MPEG2 or MPEG4 format in the case of digital broadcasting. Further, the signal input to the RF receiving unit 101 is not limited to the above video signal. For example, a digital broadcast signal (such as a digitized audio signal, data broadcast, electronic program guide information, or network information) ( Broadcast wave).

  The demodulator 102 demodulates the digital broadcast signal input to the RF receiver 101 and sends it to the decoder 103.

  The decoder 103 decomposes a demodulated signal such as MPEG2TS into a video component (signal) and an audio component (signal). The decoder 103 decodes the video signal among the decomposed signals and sends the audio signal to the audio processor 104. At this time, the data accompanying the audio signal is sent to the CPU 109 and processed there.

  The audio processor 104 decodes the audio signal received from the decoder 103. Since the audio signal has many formats, the audio processor 104 normally performs the decoding process of the audio signal. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the audio signal may be decoded by the decoder 103 or the CPU 109. The processed audio signal is sent to the speaker 105.

  The speaker 105 outputs the audio signal decoded by the audio processor 104. In addition, although this embodiment shows the form of a television provided with the display part 112 and the speaker 105, it is not limited to this, For example, BD (Blu-Ray) recorder or STB (Set Top Box) etc. In this case, an audio signal may be output to an external device instead of the speaker 105.

  Remote control communication unit 106 receives a control signal from a remote control (not shown). Examples of the remote controller that transmits a control signal include an infrared remote controller that transmits a signal in one direction or a wireless remote controller that transmits a signal in both directions. The control signal received by the remote control communication unit 106 is sent to the CPU 109.

  The external input unit 107 receives a signal output from the video output unit 208 of the PC unit 20. Examples of the external input unit 107 include an HDMI interface or a DVI-D terminal. The signal received by the external input unit 107 includes decoded data or data in a compressed format (for example, data in MPEG2 or MPEG4 format).

  The audio signal received by the external input unit 107 is output to the audio processor 104. On the other hand, the video signal received by the external input unit 107 is output to the graphic memory 110 and developed. For example, when the video signal received by the external input unit 107 is a compressed image, the received video signal is sent to the graphic memory 110 once via the decoder 103. Note that there is no substantial difference in the video signal output to the graphic memory 110 depending on whether or not the signal passes through the decoder 103.

  The memory 108 is a memory that stores a program or data.

  The CPU 109 is a CPU that controls the entire TV unit 10.

  The graphic memory 110 holds two or more videos and display data. Examples of display data include data broadcasting, OSD (on-screen display) data, and data such as setting menus. The graphic memory 110 includes a plurality of planes, and each plane can be superimposed or alpha blended.

  The graphic controller 111 combines video and display data held in the graphic memory 110 to create one screen. That is, the graphic controller 111 performs, for example, enlargement / reduction or position setting of a plurality of planes according to control from the CPU 109, and generates a final screen by combining them. This final screen is sent to the display unit 112. The graphic memory 110 and the graphic controller 111 correspond to the content composition unit 14 shown in FIG.

  The display unit 112 displays the video received from the graphic controller 111. For example, video may be displayed on a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, or video data may be output to an external device.

  A LAN (Local Area Network) controller 113 is connected to an external device through a network. The LAN controller 113 may be connected to another device according to a home network standard such as DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) or may be connected to a video service through the Internet. The connection with the external device may be either wired or wireless. The video signal acquired from the LAN controller 113 is not particularly limited, but is preferably handled in the same manner as the video signal acquired through the RF receiving unit 101.

  The I / F unit 114 is an interface unit that controls LAN, USB, serial, or the like. The I / F unit 114 exchanges control information including a still image with the PC unit 20. Note that the transmission / reception method of control information in the I / F unit 114 is not particularly limited.

  The power supply unit 115 is a power supply circuit in the TV unit 10. The power supply unit 204 is a power supply circuit in the PC unit 20. These power supply units 115 and 204 are supplied with power from a common power supply 150. At this time, it is desirable to receive power from one AC plug. That is, the power supply control unit 31 is a control unit that controls the power supply unit 115, and the power supply control unit 32 is a control unit that controls the power supply unit 204.

  The input unit 201 receives input from the outside. Thus, the PC unit 20 may have its own input unit. For example, a Bluetooth wireless keyboard or a wireless mouse can be used as the input unit 201.

  The IO processor 202 controls various external interfaces.

  The LAN controller 203 is connected to the IP network. Note that the LAN controller 113 and the LAN controller 203 preferably share one IP address with each other. Further, when the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 are provided with individual LAN controllers 113 and 203, respectively, it is preferable to have a bridge function inside the television 1 with a built-in PC. Thereby, for example, when connecting a wired LAN, the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 can be simultaneously connected to the network by simply inserting one LAN cable.

  A memory 205 is a memory of the CPU 206 that performs various controls.

  The CPU 206 comprehensively controls each block included in the PC unit 20. For example, the compressed PC content is decoded by software and converted to the original PC content. In the present embodiment, the PC unit 20 does not include hardware such as the decoder 103 in the TV unit 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the PC unit 20 may include hardware such as the decoder 103.

  The graphic controller 207 speeds up graphic processing during video rendering.

  The video output unit 208 outputs the video signal processed by the graphic controller 207. Examples of the format of the output video signal include a format that can be output via an interface of the HDMI standard. The audio signal is also output to the TV unit 10 in the same manner as the video signal.

  The storage unit 209 permanently stores PC content acquired through the Internet 8 or the recording disk 7. Examples of the storage unit 209 include a hard disk, a BD (Blu-ray Disc), a DVD (Digital Video Disc), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The CPU 206 reproduces the video acquired via the network or the video stored in the storage unit 209 and transmits it to the TV unit 10.

  Here, the image is not limited to a moving image, and includes a screen created by an application such as music, a book (text), a photo (still image), a slide show, a word processing document, or a game.

(Example of the flow of video composition)
A flow of the composition and display processing of a plurality of videos in the PC built-in television 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of video composition and display in the television 1 with a built-in PC.

  As shown in this figure, the content acquisition unit 22 of the PC unit 20 acquires a video 50 (second video included in the second content) and related information 52. The acquisition destination is, for example, the Internet 8 or the recording disk 7. The video 50 and the related information 52 are transmitted to the TV unit 10 via the content acquisition unit 22, the content processing unit 21, and the content transmission unit 23. In the TV unit 10, the content is provided to the content composition unit 14 via the content reception unit 16.

  On the other hand, the content acquisition unit 15 of the TV unit 10 acquires the video 54 (the first video included in the first content) and the related information 56. The acquisition destination is, for example, a broadcasting station. The video 54 and the related information 52 are provided to the content composition unit 14 via the content acquisition unit 15 and the content processing unit 13. Control information that defines that the video 50 and related information 52 should be provided to the TV unit 10a is transmitted in advance from the TV unit 10a to the PC unit 20a. The PC unit 20a provides the video unit 50 and the related information 52 to the TV unit 10a in response to the reception of the control information.

  The content synthesizing unit 14 synthesizes the input video 50, related information 52, video 54, and related information 56 to generate one synthesized video (synthesized content). In this embodiment, the graphic memory 110 is used to write data to each of the three planes. Specifically, video 50 is written in the first plane, video 54 is written in the second plane, and related information 52 and related information 56 are written in the third plane. The three planes thus obtained are overlapped to generate one composite image shown in FIG. The synthesized video is input to the display 2 via the video output unit 11. As a result of these processes, the user visually recognizes the synthesized video through the display 2. As a result, it is possible to enjoy movie content on a sub-screen while watching a broadcast program.

(Power supply interlock)
In the PC built-in television 1, the power supply unit 115 and the power supply unit 204 are supplied with power from a common power supply 150. Further, the power supply unit 204 receives power supply from the power supply unit 115. That is, in the TV 1 with a built-in PC, the power supply of the TV unit 10 and the power supply of the PC unit 20 are linked. Thus, the user does not have to perform a complicated operation for starting up the PC unit 20. That is, simultaneously with turning on the TV unit 10, the PC is also turned on.

  After the start of the TV unit 10 is completed, the user can view the broadcast program immediately. On the other hand, since the PC unit 20 requires a longer time to complete activation than the TV unit 10, the activation process of the PC unit 20 continues even after the activation of the TV unit 10 is completed. The user can enjoy the broadcast program without unnecessarily waiting until the PC unit 20 is activated. In addition, after the PC unit 20 has been activated, the PC unit 20 can be operated at any time by a simple operation using the remote controller 9.

(Details of the transition process to standby mode)
Next, details of the process of shifting the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 to the standby mode will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

  First, the PC built-in television 1 operating in the simultaneous display mode (the mode in which the TV video 100 and the PC video 200 are simultaneously displayed on the display 2) is set to the TV mode (the mode in which only the TV video 100 is displayed on the display 2). The process when changing is described. That is, here, the details of the transition process for shifting the PC unit 20 to the standby mode will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram showing processing for shifting the PC unit 20 to the standby mode.

  In addition, FIGS. 7A to 7C show state transitions in the display 2 when executing processing for shifting the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 to the standby mode. FIGS. 7A to 7C are diagrams showing display examples on the display 2 when any one of the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 is shifted to the standby mode, and FIG. 7A is a simultaneous display mode. (B) shows the case where the video is displayed in the TV mode, and (c) shows the case where the video is displayed in the PC mode.

  First, when the user selects to change to the TV mode using the information input device connected to the TV unit such as the remote controller 9 for the PC built-in television 1 (step S1) operating in the simultaneous display mode, the control is performed. The unit 19 instructs the control unit information communication unit 18 to transmit an instruction to shift the PC unit 20 to the standby mode. Upon receiving the instruction, the control information communication unit 18 transmits a shift instruction to the control information communication unit 25 of the PC unit 20.

  When the control information communication unit 25 receives the shift instruction, the control unit 27 instructs the power supply control unit 32 to cut off power supply to hardware that does not operate in the standby mode. That is, the transition process to the standby mode is started in the PC unit 20 (step S2).

  At this time, the PC unit 20 transmits state information indicating the state of the own unit to the TV unit 10 via the control information communication unit 25. When the control information communication unit 18 of the TV unit 10 receives the status information from the PC unit 20, the content synthesis unit 14 synthesizes the video generated based on the status information with the TV content (TV video) and displays it on the display 2. (Step S3). If the status information from the PC unit 20 is information indicating that the transition to the standby mode is in progress, the display 2 displays caution information indicating that the PC unit 20 is transitioning to the standby mode. The When the status information from the PC unit 20 also includes information indicating how much the transition to the standby mode is completed, the display 2 indicates the degree of transition to the standby mode in addition to the above information. A bar may be displayed.

  Note that the display indicating the transition state of the PC unit 20 to the standby mode may not be displayed according to the user's designation.

  Next, the power supply control unit 32 that has received the instruction shuts off the supply of power to the hardware that functions as the content processing unit 21, the content acquisition unit 22, the content transmission unit 23, and the application execution unit 28 and the storage unit 24. Thus, the transition of the PC unit 20 to the standby mode is completed (step S4). When the transition to the standby mode is completed, the PC unit 20 transmits a transition completion notification to the TV unit 10 via the control information communication unit 25.

  When the control information communication unit 18 of the TV unit 10 receives the transfer completion notification from the PC unit 20, the TV unit 10 displays the TV video on the entire screen of the display 2 (step S5). That is, since the PC unit 20 stops generating the PC content and transmitting the generated PC content to the TV unit 10, the display form of the video displayed on the display 2 is changed from the display shown in FIG. The display form is changed to the display shown in FIG. That is, the display mode is changed from the display mode in which the PC video 200 is displayed on the TV video 100 as a small screen in PinP to the display mode in which only the TV video 100 is displayed.

  In the above-described operation, the case where the PC unit is shifted to the standby mode based on an instruction from the TV unit 10 is described as an example. However, the PC unit 20 is set to the standby mode using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6. You may make it transfer to. In this case, when an instruction to shift to the standby mode is input to the user input unit 26, the control unit 27 instructs the power supply control unit 32 to cut off power supply to hardware that does not operate in the standby mode.

  Next, processing when the PC built-in television 1 operating in the simultaneous display mode is shifted to the PC mode (a mode in which only the PC video 200 is displayed on the display 2) will be described. That is, here, the details of the transition process for transitioning the TV unit 10 to the standby mode will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing a process of shifting the TV unit 10 to the standby mode.

  First, for the PC built-in television 1 operating in the simultaneous display mode (step S10), when the user selects to change to the PC mode using an information input device connected to the TV unit such as the remote controller 9, the control is performed. The information communication unit 18 transmits a notification of transition to the standby mode to the PC unit 20. Further, the control unit 19 instructs the power supply control unit 31 to cut off power supply to hardware that does not operate in the standby mode. That is, the transition process to the standby mode is started in the TV unit 10 (step S11).

  At this time, the content synthesizing unit 14 synthesizes the video generated based on the state information indicating the state of the unit itself with the TV content (TV video) and displays it on the display 2 (step S12). The video displayed here is the same as the video when the PC unit 20 is shifted to the standby mode. Therefore, the display indicating the transition state of the TV unit 10 to the standby mode can be suppressed according to the user's designation.

  Next, the power supply control unit 31 that has received the instruction cuts off the supply of power to the hardware that functions as the content processing unit 13 and the content acquisition unit 15, thereby completing the transition of the TV unit 10 to the standby mode. (Step S13).

  When the transition of the TV unit 10 to the standby mode is completed, the PC unit 20 transmits the PC content via the content transmission unit 23, and specifies the display size of the PC content transmitted via the control information communication unit 25. Send information. The content composition unit 14 generates a PC video from the received PC content and the received scaling information and displays it on the entire screen of the display 2 (step S14). That is, since the TV unit 10 stops the generation of the TV content, the display form of the video displayed on the display 2 is changed from the display shown in FIG. 7A to the display shown in FIG. Is done. That is, the display mode is changed from the display mode in which the PC video 200 is displayed on the TV video 100 in PinP as a small screen to the display mode in which only the PC video 200 is displayed.

  In the above-described operation, the case where the TV unit 10 is shifted to the standby mode based on an instruction from the remote controller 9 is described as an example. However, the TV unit 10 is set to the standby mode using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6. You may make it transfer to. In this case, an instruction to shift to the standby mode for the TV unit 10 is transmitted to the TV unit 10 via the control information communication unit 25. Thereafter, the processing from step S11 is executed.

  Further, the PC unit 20 may automatically shift to the standby mode when there is no external input signal for a predetermined time or longer.

  Here, in the above-described operation processing, the case where the TV unit 10 or the PC unit 20 is shifted to the standby mode is described as an example, but the same applies to the case where the TV unit 10 or the PC unit 20 is shifted to the sleep mode. When shifting to the sleep mode, the power supply control unit 31 also cuts off the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the user input unit 17. The power supply control unit 32 also cuts off the supply of power to the hardware that functions as the user input unit 26.

  The hardware that operates in the standby mode or the hibernation mode is controlled by sub-microcomputers provided in the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20, respectively.

(Advantages of TV 1 with built-in PC)
As described above, in the TV 1 with a built-in PC, power for operating the PC unit 20 is supplied from the TV unit 10. Thus, both the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 can be activated only by supplying power to the TV unit 10.

  Further, the TV unit 10 in the TV 1 with a built-in PC does not supply power to the hardware that functions as the content processing unit 13 and the content acquisition unit 15 that do not need to be operated when the TV content is not reproduced. be able to. Further, the PC unit 20 has a function of a hardware and a storage unit 24 that function as a content processing unit 21, a content acquisition unit 22, a content transmission unit 23, and an application execution unit 28 that do not need to be operated when PC content is not reproduced. It is possible to prevent power supply.

  As a result, in the case of not reproducing TV content, the TV with a built-in PC 1 stops power supply to hardware having a function related to generation of TV content to reduce power consumption and not to reproduce PC content. Can stop power supply to hardware having a function related to generation of PC contents to reduce power consumption.

(Return processing from standby mode)
Next, details of the return processing from the standby mode of the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  First, processing when the PC built-in television 1 operating in the TV mode is changed to the simultaneous display mode will be described. That is, here, the details of the return process for returning the PC unit 20 in the standby mode will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing processing for returning the PC unit 20 from the standby mode.

  9A and 9B show state transitions in the display 2 when executing processing for returning the PC unit 20 from the standby mode. FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams showing transition of display on the display 2 when the PC unit 20 is returned from the standby mode, and FIG. 9A shows a case where video is displayed in the TV mode. (B) shows a case where an image is displayed in the simultaneous display mode.

  First, for the PC built-in television 1 operating in the TV mode (step S20), when the user selects the change to the simultaneous display mode using the information input device connected to the TV unit such as the remote controller 9, the control is performed. The unit 19 instructs the control unit information communication unit 18 to transmit a return instruction from the standby mode of the PC unit 20. Upon receiving the instruction, the control information communication unit 18 transmits a return instruction to the control information communication unit 25 of the PC unit 20.

  When the control information communication unit 25 of the PC unit 20 receives the return instruction, the control unit 27 detects hardware that does not operate in the standby mode with respect to the power supply control unit 32, that is, hardware that is not supplied with power (contents). The processing unit 21, the content acquisition unit 22, the content transmission unit 23, the hardware functioning as the application execution unit 28, and the resumption of power supply to the storage unit 24) are instructed. That is, the return processing from the standby mode is started in the PC unit 20 (step S21).

  At this time, the PC unit 20 transmits state information indicating the state of the own unit to the TV unit 10 via the control information communication unit 25. When the control information communication unit 18 of the TV unit 10 receives the status information from the PC unit 20, the content synthesis unit 14 synthesizes the video generated based on the status information with the TV content (TV video) and displays it on the display 2. (Step S22). If the status information from the PC unit 20 is information indicating that the PC unit 20 is returning from the standby mode, caution information indicating that the PC unit 20 is recovering from the standby mode is displayed on the display 2. The When the status information from the PC unit 20 includes information indicating how much the return from the standby mode is completed, the display 2 indicates the degree of return from the standby mode in addition to the above information. A bar may be displayed.

  The display indicating the return state of the PC unit 20 from the standby mode may not be displayed according to the user's designation.

  Next, the power supply control unit 32 that has received the instruction resumes the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the content processing unit 13 and the content acquisition unit 15, thereby completing the return of the PC unit 20 from the standby mode. (Step S23). When the return from the standby mode is completed, the PC unit 20 transmits a return completion notification to the TV unit 10 via the control information communication unit 25.

  When the control information communication unit 18 of the TV unit 10 receives the transition completion notification from the PC unit 20, the TV unit 10 starts simultaneous display processing of the TV video and the PC video (step S24). That is, the control information communication unit 18 of the TV unit 10 transmits a PC video acquisition request from the PC unit 20. When the control information communication unit 25 of the PC unit 20 receives the PC video acquisition request, the content transmission unit 23 transmits the PC video to the TV unit 10. At the same time, the control information communication unit 25 transmits scaling information specifying the display size of the transmitted PC video to the TV unit 10.

  The TV unit 10 that has received the PC video and the scaling information generates a composite video obtained by synthesizing the PC video scaled to the display size specified by the scaling information with the TV video in the content synthesis unit 14, and the generated composite video is displayed. It is displayed on the display 2 (step S25). Thereby, the display form of the image displayed on the display 2 is changed from the display form shown in FIG. 9A to the display form shown in FIG. That is, the display mode is changed from the display mode in which only the TV video 100 is displayed to the display mode in which the PC video 200 is displayed on the TV video 100 as a small screen in PinP. The changed display form may be a PinP format as shown in FIG. 9B or a PoutP format.

  In the above-described operation, the case where the PC unit is returned from the standby mode based on an instruction from the TV unit 10 is described as an example. However, the PC unit 20 is set in the standby mode using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6. You may make it return from. In this case, when a return instruction from the standby mode is input to the user input unit 26, the control unit 27 instructs the power supply control unit 32 to operate hardware that does not operate in the standby mode (content processing unit 21, content acquisition). The hardware that functions as the unit 22, the content transmission unit 23, and the application execution unit 28, and the resumption of power supply to the storage unit 24) are instructed.

  Next, processing when the PC built-in television 1 operating in the PC mode is shifted to the simultaneous display mode will be described. That is, here, the details of the return processing for returning the TV unit 10 from the standby mode will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing processing for returning the TV unit 10 from the standby mode.

  Further, FIGS. 11A and 11B show state transitions in the display 2 when the process of returning the TV unit 10 from the standby mode is executed. FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing transition of display on the display 2 when the TV unit 10 is returned from the standby mode, and FIG. 11A shows a case where video is displayed in the PC mode. (B) shows a case where an image is displayed in the simultaneous display mode.

  First, for the PC built-in television 1 operating in the PC mode (step S30), when the user selects the change to the simultaneous display mode using the information input device connected to the TV unit such as the remote controller 9, the control is performed. The unit 19 instructs the power supply control unit 31 to resume power supply to hardware that does not operate in the standby mode (hardware that functions as the content processing unit 13 and the content acquisition unit 15). That is, the return processing from the standby mode is started in the TV unit 10 (step S31).

  At this time, the content synthesizing unit 14 synthesizes the video generated based on the state information indicating the state of the unit itself with the PC content (PC video) and displays it on the display 2 (step S32). The video displayed here is the same as the video when the PC unit 20 is returned from the standby mode. Therefore, the display indicating the return state of the TV unit 10 from the standby mode can be suppressed according to the user's designation.

  Next, the power supply control unit 31 that has received the instruction restarts the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the content processing unit 13 and the content acquisition unit 15, thereby completing the return processing from the standby mode of the TV unit 10. (Step S33).

  When the return of the TV unit 10 from the standby mode is completed, the PC unit 20 transmits the PC content via the content transmission unit 23 and specifies the display size of the transmitted PC content via the control information communication unit 25. Scaling information to be transmitted.

  The TV unit 10 that has received the PC video and the scaling information generates a synthesized video in which the content synthesizing unit 14 synthesizes the PC video scaled to the predetermined display size with the PC video scaled based on the scaling information ( Step S34). Then, the PC built-in television 1 displays the generated synthesized video on the display 2 (step S35). Thereby, the display form of the image displayed on the display 2 is changed from the display form shown in FIG. 11A to the display form shown in FIG. That is, the display mode is changed from the display mode in which only the PC video 200 is displayed to the display mode in which the TV video 100 is displayed on the PC video 200 as a small screen in PinP. Note that the display form after the change may be a PinP format as shown in FIG. 11B or a PoutP format.

  In the above-described operation, the case where the TV unit 10 is returned from the standby mode based on an instruction from the remote controller 9 is described as an example. However, the TV unit 10 is set in the standby mode using the mouse 5 or the keyboard 6. You may make it return from. In this case, a return instruction from the standby mode to the TV unit 10 is transmitted to the TV unit 10 via the control information communication unit 25. Thereafter, the processing from step S31 is executed.

  Here, in the operation process described above, the case where the TV unit 10 or the PC unit 20 is returned from the standby mode is described as an example, but the same applies to the case where the return process from the sleep mode is performed. When shifting from the sleep mode, the power supply control unit 31 also restarts the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the user input unit 17. The power supply control unit 32 also restarts the supply of power to the hardware that functions as the user input unit 26. However, when the PC built-in television 1 operating in the PC mode is changed to the simultaneous display mode, that is, when the TV unit is returned from the sleep mode, an operation input to the TV unit 10 by the remote controller 9 cannot be accepted. Since it is in the state, it is necessary to return the TV unit 10 using the information input device connected to the PC unit 20.

(Advantages of PC built-in TV 1 in restoration processing)
As described above, when the control information communication unit 25 receives the PC content acquisition request from the TV unit 10, the PC unit 20 serves as the content processing unit 21, the content acquisition unit 22, the content transmission unit 23, and the application execution unit 28. The power supply to the functioning hardware and the storage unit 24 is started.

  As a result, generation of PC content in the PC unit 20 can be started by an operation on the TV unit 10. That is, by operating the TV unit 10, both can be operated in cooperation.

  When the PC unit 20 is in the standby mode, the PC unit 20 receives the operation input signal input from the information input device (mouse 5, keyboard 6, etc.) provided in the unit 20. Generation of PC content in the unit 20 can be resumed. As a result, the user can restart the generation of the PC content without performing a complicated operation.

  In the PC built-in television 1, the TV including the video generated based on the state information indicating the state of the PC unit 20 until the PC content generated in the PC unit 20 can be transmitted to the TV unit 10. Play content.

  As a result, the user can easily recognize what the state of the PC unit 20 is.

  Similarly to the PC unit 20, the TV unit 10 serves as the content processing unit 13 and the content acquisition unit 15 when the control information communication unit 18 receives a playback instruction request for instructing playback of TV content from the PC unit 20. Start supplying power to functioning hardware.

  Thereby, the generation of TV content in the TV unit 10 can be resumed by an operation on the PC unit 20. That is, by operating the PC unit 20, both can be operated in cooperation.

(Supplying power when starting up the PC built-in TV 1)
Next, power supply to each unit when the PC built-in television 1 is activated will be described below.

  The TV unit 10 in the PC built-in television 1 includes a storage unit (not shown) that stores an operation mode at the time of shutdown. That is, the television with built-in PC 1 stores whether the operation mode at the time of shutdown of the apparatus is the TV mode, the PC mode, or the simultaneous display mode.

  When the power button of the PC built-in television 1 is pressed and the supply of power to the PC built-in television 1 is started, the power supply control unit 31 of the TV unit 10 receives the latest shutdown time from the storage unit (not shown). Read the operation mode.

  When the read operation mode is the simultaneous display mode, the power supply control unit 31 starts supplying power to each hardware of its own unit, and the power supply control unit 32 of the PC unit 20 Information indicating that the operation mode read from the storage unit is the simultaneous display mode is notified.

  The power supply control unit 32 that has received the information indicating the simultaneous display mode starts to supply power to the hardware of the own unit.

  Thereby, since both the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 operate in the normal mode, the TV image and the PC image can be displayed on the display 2 at the same time.

  Next, when the read operation mode is the TV mode, the power supply control unit 31 starts to supply power to each hardware of its own unit and to the power supply control unit 32 of the PC unit 20. Then, information indicating that the operation mode read from the storage unit is the TV mode is notified.

  The power supply control unit 32 that has received the information indicating that it is in the TV mode supplies power to the hardware that functions as the content processing unit 13 and the content acquisition unit 15 among the hardware of its own unit. Absent.

  Thus, although the TV unit 10 operates in the normal mode, the TV unit 20 operates in the standby mode, so that only the TV image is displayed on the display 2.

  Finally, when the read operation mode is the PC mode, the power supply control unit 31 includes the content processing unit 21, the content acquisition unit 22, the content transmission unit 23, and the application execution among the hardware of its own unit. No power is supplied to the hardware functioning as the unit 28 and the storage unit 24. At the same time, the power supply control unit 31 notifies the power supply control unit 32 of the PC unit 20 of information indicating that the operation mode read from the storage unit is the PC mode.

  The power supply control unit 32 that has received the information indicating that it is in the PC mode starts supplying power to the hardware of its own unit.

  As a result, although the TV unit 10 operates in the standby mode, the TV unit 20 operates in the normal mode, so that only the PC video is displayed on the display 2.

  The PC built-in television 1 stores more detailed states of the PC unit 20 in the TV mode and the TV unit 10 in the PC mode when the operation modes at the time of shutdown are the TV mode and the PC mode. May be. That is, whether the PC unit 20 is in the standby mode or the sleep mode in the TV mode may be stored. By storing this, the PC mode can be activated in the standby mode or the sleep mode when the PC built-in television 1 is activated next time. The same applies to the TV unit 10 when starting in the PC mode.

  Thus, in the PC built-in television 1, the power supply control unit 32 starts from the power supply control unit 31 when the supply of power from the power source to the TV unit 10 is started, that is, when the PC built-in television 1 is started. Based on the received operation mode information, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to supply power to each piece of hardware provided in the PC unit 20.

  Thus, the PC unit 20 can determine whether or not to supply power to each piece of hardware based on the operation mode information received from the power supply control unit 31 when the apparatus is activated. For example, when the TV unit 10 includes a storage unit that stores operation mode information when the TV 1 with a built-in PC has been activated most recently, the mode when the TV unit 10 has been activated most recently at the next activation Thus, the PC unit 20 can be activated.

(Additional notes)
The PC built-in television according to the present invention may be configured such that the PC unit can be detached from the PC built-in television. A PC built-in television in which the PC unit can be detached from the PC built-in television will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  12A and 12B are views showing the appearance of the PC built-in television 1a, and FIG. 12A shows the PC built-in television 1a after the detachable PC unit 20a is attached to the TV unit 10a. It is a figure which shows the external appearance at the time of seeing from the screen side, (b) shows the external appearance when seeing the television 1a with a built-in PC from the back side before the detachable PC unit 20a is mounted on the TV unit 10a. FIG.

  As shown in this figure, the TV built-in television 1a is composed of a TV unit 10a and a PC unit 20a. In this respect, there is no difference from the TV 1 with a built-in PC. However, in the PC built-in television 1a, the PC unit 20a is detachable from the PC built-in television 1a. Accordingly, the expandability and maintainability of the PC built-in television 1 can be improved. In addition, after releasing mounting | wearing, TV unit 10a and PC unit 20a can each be utilized independently.

  As shown in FIG. 12A, the PC unit 20 a is provided with a plurality of external terminals 151 to 153. Specific examples of the external terminals 151 to 153 include an Ethernet (registered trademark) terminal, a USB terminal, and a video / audio input / output terminal. As shown in FIG. 12B, the PC unit 20a is also provided with external terminals 154 to 156 for exchanging signals with the TV unit 10a. Specific examples of the external terminals 154 to 156 include a video signal (SDVO: Serial Digital Video OutPut including HDMI signal), a control signal terminal, and a power supply terminal. By having these terminals, video signals, control signals, and power supply signals can be transmitted and received between the PC unit 20a and the TV unit 10a. In addition to the terminals described above, an audio signal terminal may be provided to transmit and receive audio signals to and from each other.

  The PC unit 20a can operate as a single unit and is a product. The circuits and wiring are all housed inside the PC unit 20a and are not exposed at all. The same applies to the TV unit 10a. Therefore, there is no need for wiring when connecting the two. That is, when attaching the PC unit 20a to the TV unit 10a, the user may attach the PC unit 20a to the PC unit mounting portion provided in the TV unit 10a. In the PC built-in television 1a, it can be said that the procedure for mounting the PC unit 20a to the TV unit 10a is very easy.

  The PC unit 20a removed from the PC built-in television 1a can be used for various purposes by being connected to peripheral devices. For example, the removed PC unit 20a is mounted on a cradle that can be connected to a monitor. In this way, the PC unit 20a can be used as a desktop computer. In addition, as a terminal for connecting the PC unit 20a and the cradle, an Ethernet (registered trademark) terminal and a serial port terminal can be used.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the PC built-in television 1a. As shown in this figure, the content acquisition unit 15 of the TV unit 10a is to be reproduced from the recording disk 7, the Internet 8, and the external device (external storage device) 160 in addition to the antenna 4. Content can be acquired. In other words, the content processed by the TV unit 10a is not limited to a broadcast program, but also includes content such as text, video, audio, and moving images, and multimedia content that is a combination thereof. Other web pages are also included.

  As described above, the PC unit 20a has expandability utilizing peripheral devices, and has a wider range of utilization than conventional general-purpose computers. Even when the PC unit 20a is detached from the TV unit 10a or when the PC unit 20a breaks down, the TV program 10a alone can acquire a broadcast program and various contents from the outside.

  Further, the number of PC units 20 constituting the PC built-in television 1 is not limited to one, and may be plural. Although the case where the second video generation unit in the video display device according to the present invention is a PC unit has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited to this. In addition to the PC unit, the second video generation unit may be, for example, an optical disc playback (recording) unit and a hard disk recorder unit. In addition, when the video display device according to the present invention includes a plurality of second video generation units, the second video generation units may be different types of units.

(Program and recording medium)
Finally, each block included in the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 constituting the PC built-in television 1 may be configured by hardware logic. Alternatively, it may be realized by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as follows.

  That is, the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 include a CPU that executes instructions of a program that realizes each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the program, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program into an executable format. ), And a storage device (recording medium) such as a memory for storing the program and various data. With this configuration, the object of the present invention can be achieved by a predetermined recording medium.

  This recording medium only needs to record the program codes (execution format program, intermediate code program, source program) of the programs of the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 which are software for realizing the functions described above so as to be readable by the computer. . This recording medium is supplied to the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20. Thereby, the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 (or CPU or MPU) as computers may read and execute the program code recorded on the supplied recording medium.

  The recording medium for supplying the program code to the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 is not limited to a specific structure or type. That is, the recording medium includes, for example, a tape system such as a magnetic tape and a cassette tape, a magnetic disk such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk / hard disk, and an optical disk such as a CD-ROM / MO / MD / DVD / CD-R. System, a card system such as an IC card (including a memory card) / optical card, or a semiconductor memory system such as a mask ROM / EPROM / EEPROM / flash ROM.

  Further, even if the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 are configured to be connectable to a communication network, the object of the present invention can be achieved. In this case, the program code is supplied to the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20 via a communication network. The communication network may be any network that can supply program codes to the TV unit 10 and the PC unit 20, and is not limited to a specific type or form. For example, it may be the Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN, ISDN, VAN, CATV communication network, virtual private network, telephone line network, mobile communication network, satellite communication network, and the like.

  The transmission medium constituting the communication network may be any medium that can transmit the program code, and is not limited to a specific configuration or type. For example, even in the case of wired lines such as IEEE 1394, USB (Universal Serial Bus), power line carrier, cable TV line, telephone line, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line, infrared rays such as IrDA and remote control, Bluetooth (registered trademark), 802.11 It can also be used by radio such as radio, HDR, mobile phone network, satellite line, terrestrial digital network. The present invention can also be realized in the form of a computer data signal embedded in a carrier wave in which the program code is embodied by electronic transmission.

  The same applies to each block constituting the PC built-in television 1a.

  The video display device according to the present invention can be suitably used as a television receiver with a built-in PC unit.

1 PC built-in TV (content playback device)
1a TV with built-in PC (content playback device)
2 Display 3 Speaker 4 Antenna 5 Mouse (second operation input device)
6 Keyboard (second operation input device)
7 Recording disk 8 Internet 9 Remote control (first operation input device)
10 TV unit (first unit)
10a TV unit (first unit)
11 Video output section (content playback means)
12 Audio output unit (content playback means)
13 Content processing unit (first content generating means)
14 content composition unit 15 content acquisition unit (first content generation means)
16 Content receiver (content acquisition means)
17 User input section (first input signal receiving means)
18 Control information communication unit (operation mode information transmitting means, control information receiving means)
19 Control unit 20 PC unit (second unit)
20a PC unit (second unit)
21 Content processing unit (second content generation means)
22 Content acquisition unit (second content generation means)
23 Content transmitter (content transmitter)
24 storage unit 25 control information communication unit (operation mode information receiving means, control information transmitting means)
26 User input section (second input signal receiving means)
27 Control unit 28 Application execution unit (execution means, second content generation means)
31 Power supply control unit (operation mode information transmission means, first power supply control means, supply means)
32 Power supply control unit (operation mode information receiving means, second power supply control means)
150 power supply

Claims (15)

A first unit including first content generation means for generating first content including at least a first video; and second content generation means for generating second content including at least a second video. A content playback device having a second unit comprising:
The first unit is
Content acquisition means for acquiring second content from the second unit;
Content reproduction means for reproducing at least one of the first content generated by the first content generation means and the second content acquired by the content acquisition means;
First power supply control means for controlling power supply to the first hardware constituting the first unit using power supplied from a power supply;
Supply means for supplying a part of the power supplied from the power source to the second unit;
Operation mode information transmitting means for transmitting operation mode information representing an operation mode in the content reproduction apparatus to the second unit;
The second unit is
Content transmitting means for transmitting the second content to the first unit;
An operation mode information receiving means for receiving the operation mode information transmitted from the operation mode information transmitting means;
Second power supply control means for controlling power supply to the second hardware constituting the second unit based on the received operation mode information using the power supplied from the first unit. And a content playback apparatus. The operation mode information is content reproduction stop information indicating that the reproduction unit does not reproduce the second content,
The second power supply control means, when receiving the content reproduction stop information in the operation mode information receiving means, power for the hardware functioning as the second content generation means among the second hardware. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply of the content is cut off.   The second power supply control means is an operation input signal input via a second operation input device provided in the second unit in addition to the hardware functioning as the second content generation means. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein supply of power to hardware functioning as second input signal receiving means for receiving is cut off.   The first power supply control unit supplies power to the hardware functioning as the first content generation unit of the first hardware when the reproduction unit does not reproduce the first content. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content reproduction apparatus is blocked.   The first power supply control means is an operation input signal input via a first operation input device provided in the first unit in addition to hardware functioning as the first content generation means. 5. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 4, wherein power supply to hardware functioning as first input signal receiving means for receiving is cut off. The operation mode information is content reproduction resume information indicating that the reproduction unit resumes reproduction of the second content,
The second power supply control means restarts the supply of power to the hardware functioning as the second content generation means when receiving the content reproduction restart information in the operation mode information receiving means. Item 3. The content playback device according to Item 2.   The second power supply control means receives the content reproduction restart information in the operation mode information receiving means, and the second function provided in the hardware and the second unit serving as the second content generation means. 7. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the supply of power to hardware functioning as second input signal receiving means for receiving an operation input signal input via the operation input device is resumed. The second unit changes the state of the second unit between the time when the operation mode information receiving means receives the content reproduction restart information and the time when the content transmitting means starts transmission of the second content. Control information transmitting means for transmitting status information to be transmitted to the first unit;
The first unit further includes control information receiving means for receiving status information transmitted from the information transmitting means,
The first content generation unit generates first content including a video generated based on the state information received by the control information reception unit in addition to the first video,
8. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the content reproduction unit reproduces the first content generated by the first content generation unit. The second unit further includes control information transmitting means for transmitting reproduction instruction information for instructing the first unit to resume reproduction of the first content,
The first unit further includes control information receiving means for receiving a reproduction instruction request transmitted from the control information transmitting means,
5. The first power supply control means restarts the supply of power to hardware functioning as the first content generation means when the control information receiving means receives a reproduction instruction request. The content reproduction apparatus described in 1.   When the first power supply control means receives the reproduction instruction information in the control information receiving means, the hardware that functions as the first content generation means and the first operation provided in the first unit The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the supply of power to hardware functioning as first input signal receiving means for receiving an operation input signal input via an input device is resumed. The first power supply control means transmits the operation mode information to the second power supply control means when the supply of power from the power source is started,
The second power supply control means controls power supply to the second hardware based on the operation mode information received from the first power supply control means. The content reproduction apparatus according to any one of 10. The first unit further includes broadcast wave receiving means for receiving a broadcast wave through an antenna,
12. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first video is generated by decoding a broadcast wave received by the broadcast wave receiving unit. The second content generation means includes execution means for executing a software application,
The content reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the second content generation unit generates the content generated when the software application is executed as the second content.   14. A program for operating a computer included in the content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the program causes the computer to function as each unit.   The computer-readable recording medium which has recorded the program of Claim 14.

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